22 Nov 17

Priorslee Lake and The Flash

11.5°C > 13.5C: Mainly low cloud and very dull: some occasional light rain: the odd clear spell. Fresh S wind. Very good visibility

Sunrise: 07:44 GMT

Priorslee Lake: 06:30 – 09:25
(139th visit of the year)

Best today was the duck Goldeneye – a bird I associate very much with cold weather when I see it here: not today it wasn’t. My 100th species around the lake this year

Other notes from today:
- Gadwall back at the E end now, for the first time for some weeks, all paired up – no stray drakes
- Mallard have been displaying for a while: today mating was noted
- 1 Grey Heron over early with none seen around the lake today
- the juvenile Great Crested Grebe is still trying the begging call: at least 5 weeks since the last of his siblings left
- 64 (of the 84) over-flying Wood Pigeons were in three loose groups passing low W in quick succession. The loose grouping and height suggests local movement only. Perhaps they had been flushed from e.g. Wards Rough and that was why they were together
- I pondered how to try and count the Magpies at roost. With rather few present and leaves on some of the trees the only way is to flush them – which I would be happy to do. The problem being I can see no way to do so without also flushing the Starling roost – which I am loathe to do. So they stay uncounted at the moment. I am sure the Starlings will soon move on as the reeds are being flattened and will not provide the cover they want much longer ....
- ... indeed only 19 Starlings came out of the roost together and I saw no Sparrowhawk at that time (a female had flown over much earlier). I was then surprised when 2 more Starlings left the roost area at least 10 minutes later: and another c.5 minutes after that
- the main group of Jackdaws flew low and straight toward me, swirling in the wind. Accurate count? Hmmm! Just a trio and singleton later
- 14 Redwings in the main roost today
with
- nothing on the lamps – blown off by the wind and overnight rain?

On with today’s bird totals

Birds noted flying over the lake:
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Sparrowhawk (female)
- 2 Buzzards
- 12 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Stock Doves
- 84 Wood Pigeons (no migrants? see notes)
- >550 Jackdaws
- 1 Fieldfare again
- 20 Redwings (3 groups)
- 1 Greenfinch
- 6 Siskins

Birds noted leaving roosts around the lake:
- [Magpies not counted (see notes)]
- >22 Starlings (see notes)
- 20 Redwings

The counts from the lake area
- 2 + 3 Mute Swans
- 8 (4♂) Gadwall
- 16 (9♂) Mallard
- 59 (34♂) Tufted Ducks
- 1 (0♂) Goldeneye
- 4 + 1 Great Crested Grebes
- 3 Moorhens only
- 172 Coots
- >220 Black-headed Gulls
- 8 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

Blown up from a rather distant shot on a dull morning here we see a Black-headed Gull with a full black hood. The question arises is this late to moult in to winter plumage? or early in to summer plumage? I think the latter a the black looks ‘solid’ whereas I would expect a late moulting bird to look blotchy.

Even more blown up from an even more distant shot here is a record of the duck Goldeneye. We see the distinctive head shape, the pattern of the white along the folded wing and even, just about, the orange tip to the bill indicating an adult duck – rather than an immature. I had checked all the small parties of Tufted Ducks scattered around the lake and only spotted this bird when I was doing my daily full sweep-count of the Coots from the dam-top. It was hard to relocate the bird to even get this record shot as it, typically, spent a long while under water and moved a long distance in the process. By the time I spotted it again it was about ready to make its next dive.
(Ed Wilson)

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The Flash: 09:30 – 10:05

(98th visit of the year)

Notes from here on a quiet day
- one of the drake Pochards was a first-winter drake and therefore a different bird from any of the 4 seen yesterday
- some of the Tufted Duck seemed to have decamped – to the lake?
- the third Great Crested Grebe still present

Birds noted flying over
- 1 Sparrowhawk (female)
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 2 Wood Pigeons
- 3 Jackdaws
- 39 Redwings
- 1 Goldfinch

The counts from the water
- 2 + 1 Mute Swans
- 2 Canada Geese again
- 1 white feral goose
- 24 (18♂) Mallard
- 4 (3♂) Pochard (see notes)
- 17 (3♂) Tufted Ducks
- 3 Great Crested Grebes again
- 6 Moorhens
- 10 Coots
- 37 Black-headed Gulls

(Ed Wilson)

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On this day..........

2016
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2015
Priorslee Lake
Today's Sightings Here

2013
Priorslee Lake
8 Wigeon
6 Gadwall
4 Teal
2 Shoveler
2 Pochard
116 Tufted Duck
2 Water Rails
222 Coots
1 Snipe
c.90 Lapwing over
4 Yellow-legged gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull
A Ring-billed x Lesser Black-backed Gull hybrid
134 Fieldfare
22 Redwings
171 Jackdaws
3 Ravens
3 Siskins
3 Redpolls
(Ed Wilson/John Isherwood/JW Reeves)

Horsehay Pool
Caspian Gull
1  Yellow-legged Gull
2 Great Black-backed Gulls
1 Kingfisher
12 Goosander
Raven
(JW Reeves)

2012
Priorslee Lake
3 Gadwall
8 Pochard
24 Tufted Ducks 
152 Coots 
8 Redwings
(Ed Wilson)

2008
Priorslee Lake
8 Great Crested Grebes
1 Cormorant
56 Greylag Geese
12 Pochard
187 Tufted Duck
1 Goosander
2 Water Rails
149 Coot
c.800 Black-headed
c.2200 Lesser Black-backed
<20 Herring Gulls
1st winter Common Gull
50 Redwings
8 Fieldfare
1 Treecreeper
c.1000 Starlings left a roost
c.20 Siskins
(Ed Wilson)

2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
23 Greylag Geese
27 Pochard
55 Tufted Ducks
3 Buzzards
>1650 Black-headed Gull
>4022 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
246 Wood Pigeons
1 Kingfisher
26 Robins
27 Blackbirds
4 Fieldfares
34 Redwings
male Blackcap
1 Willow Tit
246 Jackdaws
160 Rooks
8 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)